Radio-Frequency Identification Enabled Inventory Management and Network Operations System and Method

Abstract

An inventory management and network operations system and method. In one embodiment, the system includes: (1) a radio-frequency identification (RFID) reader data network having RFID readers configured to read tag identifiers from RFID tags associated with equipment to be deployed to a target network and (2) a computer coupled to the RFID reader data network and the target network and configured to retrieve the tag identifiers from the RFID reader data network and network identifiers from equipment deployed in the target network, associate the tag identifiers and the network identifiers and display both the tag identifiers and the network identifiers of at least some of the equipment to a user.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The invention is directed, in general, to inventory and network operations management and, more specifically, to a radio-frequency identification (RFID) enabled inventory management and network operations system and method.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Service providers, such as wireline and wireless telecommunication service providers, cable television companies and Internet service providers (ISPs), are responsible for establishing, maintaining and operating networks. As part of that effort, inventories and installations of equipment must be acquired and managed (e.g., manufactured, transported, stored, deployed, secured, monitored, tested, repaired, removed and retired). “Equipment,” as that term is used herein, includes not only cables, network-level equipment (such may be used in a central office or a “hut”) and end-user equipment (sometimes referred to as customer premises equipment, or CPE). Depending upon the type of network, end-user...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007]In another embodiment, the system includes: (1) an RFID reader data network having RFID readers configured to read tag identifiers from REID tags associated with equipment to be deployed to a target network and (2) a computer coupled to the RFID reader data network and the target network and configured to retrieve the tag identifiers from the RFID reader data network and network identifiers from equipment deployed in the target network, associate the tag identifiers and the network identifiers and display both the tag identifiers and the network identifiers of at least some of the equipment to a user and allow the user to track equipment as it is deployed to the network and removed from the network and repaired.

Problems solved by technology

Unfortunately, existing inventory management systems rely to a large extent on human beings to gather their data manually.

Further, because the effort of manual data entry is relatively high, such systems tend to call for data to be gathered at relatively few points in the supply chain.

As a consequence, existing inventory management systems offer a limited, and frequently flawed, understanding of the state of the supply chain.

Such systems are particularly ill-suited to manage inventories of equipment that include equipment that is deployed in a network.

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